Tygra, Tygra, Burning Bright
by Dorano1
Summary: The Animalian kingdom, newly furnished with advanced technology by the New Republic, is attacked by aliens known as the Yevetha, who look to use Third Earth as a new breeding planet. During the fighting, the adopted older brother of King Lion-O, General Tygra, is taken prisoner. What will Lion-O sacrifice for his brother? And can Tygra survive the brutal treatment of the Yevetha?
1. Prologue - Animalia

Twenty years.

Twenty years had passed since the fall of Thundara, fifteen since the kingdom had been rebuilt, with all species as equals instead of having dominant races and criminal races...all of that, gone. The world was a better place - as if Lion-O could forget, with Leoli and Cheetara reminding him every few hours!

And yet war still ravaged the land, still tore families apart. And still, Lion-O could not protect those he cared about the most.

A new species calling themselves the Yevetha had come to Third Earth, claiming to be "cleansing the planet of vermin so it may serve as a breeding ground for the Yevetha." Rather xenophobic of them, in Lion-O's opinion. The animals had fought against the invaders with all the strength they could muster, and with every Animalian casualty, Lion-O's determination increased.

But now, it was personal.

The Yevetha had either killed or taken captive Lion-O's older brother, General Tygra. Lion-O stared at the tactical readouts - fifteen years of building technology had led to much better wartime communications, with the blue squares on the map representing Animalian forces, and red representing Yevethan forces. A mysterious but profitable gift in technology from a group called the _New Republic_ had also given Animalian technology a huge boost.

_Tygra._ Unconsciously, Lion-O slipped into reverie, remembering Tygra kneeling in the snow just outside the Tiger Clan village, asking if it was his destiny to always loose what he cared for. That day, Lion-O had told Tygra that he would never be lost.

Now, Lion-O wasn't so sure.

A shout from a communications monitor snapped Lion-O back to the present. His wife, Leoli, whispered that the call was from the Yevetha. On his other side, Cheetara stood, surveying the board. She looked up at the communications screen with everyone else, but said nothing. Cheetara hadn't said anything for three days, ever since they received news of Tygra's death or imprisonment. Lion-O knew she wanted to be out on the front lines, fighting, but he needed her here.

The room was dead silent as the image on the screen brightened, colored, and sharpened to reveal a Yevethan garbed in what Lion-O assumed to be important robes. And beside him, on his knees, fur scruffy, shaggy, unkempt, oozing blood from multiple cuts on his arms and chest, bound at the wrists, wearing only pale gray pants (probably the prison jumpsuits)...was none other then Tygra himself. Cheetara started to cry out, but Leoli clamped a paw over the Cleric's mouth and shook her head before slowly lowering her paw.

"Animalian King Lion-O, Lord of the Thundercats." The alien began, speaking in its own language, with a translation appearing on the bottom of the screen. "An honor."


	2. Chapter 1 - Ambush

They weren't there. And then they were.

Roars went up on all sides as Yevethan warriors sliced mercilessly through the ranks of brave Animalian soldiers. Tygra, out in front, flicked his whip and sent four advancing aliens flying backwards before bringing the whip around in a complete circle, clearing out a considerable portion of the alien congestion.

Then, a huge soldier - definitely _not_ a Yevethan - grabbed the General from behind. Tygra slammed his head into his captor's chin, making it release him. Whirling to face him, he drew his gun and fired -

- only to have the shot batted away effortlessly by an unseen force, despite no movement on his opponents part. Hesitating, Tygra tried to see who had blocked the blaster.

It was the hesitation that got him. A sound _smash_ against his skull, and the tiger crumpled to the ground, whip rolling gently out of his slack grip. The figure who had knocked him out picked up his weapon and signaled to the huge figure, who picked him up as effortlessly as a rag doll as they both sprinted for the trees. The battle was in such chaos that nobody would notice the general's absence until the end of the battle, which was a costly Animalian victory.

Sensation returned first - pain in his head, especially behind his eyes. Then sight returned, presenting him with a view of a white ceiling lit by a harsh white light suspended from it. Gradually, the rest of his senses returned, followed by movement, which had the result of Tygra hauling himself into a sitting position against the wall.

No sooner had he done this then the door slipped open and he was dragged out and made to walk down a long, harshly lit corridor. Stumbling multiple times down the hallway, they eventually came to an open chamber with a richly-dressed Yevetha standing in the middle of it. Anger bubbled up inside of Tygra, but the alien spoke first.

"Welcome, vermin." It spoke, turning to regard him with cold black eyes. Tygra snorted. _Ugly critters, Yevetha._ "Thanks. Can't say much for customer service though. I think they need a refresher course." He retorted with a smirk. A barbed whip lashed across his back, making him stumble and yowl in pain. The lead ugly watched contemptuously. "As do your manners, cat." It responded smoothly, its eyes not wavering. "But enough with the pleasantries. There is someone I'd like you to meet..." As the lead ugly stepped aside, a cloaked figure stepped forward, then lowered her hood. Tygra gasped, then snarled.

_"Traitor!"_

For under the hood was a cat. Brown-furred with long brown hair going down her back and harsh amber-orange eyes, she carried a wicked-looking sword at one hip and Tygra's whip on the other. She smiled at him, but there was no warmth or humor in it, just wickedly sharp teeth.

"Hey there, Tygra. Nice to meet you, finally. I've heard so much about you."


	3. Chapter 2 - Sevra

The cat girl laughed. "Aw, come on. Can't be a traitor if you never signed up, right?" She replied, grinning. "But hey, that's not the issue here. And I know you're not going to believe this - Thundercat loyalty and all that - but I have no personal grudge against you." Tygra snorted in disbelief. "Yeah. Right." The cat girl narrowed her eyes. "Hear me out, Tygra." She said, steel in her voice. "Or I'll remove your tongue so you can't interrupt me." Tygra glared at her with hate-filled eyes...but he closed his mouth.

"_Thank_ you." The cat girl said icily. "Okay, where was I? Oh yeah - not having a grudge against you. Well, when I said _you_ I meant it - you, yourself, Tygra Clan Tiger. You get the point." Ice formed in Tygra's gut. He was a key...a way to get to someone he cared about.

_Was I right, all those years ago? Is it my destiny to always lose the things I care about?_

He knew - he hated it sometimes, but he knew - that Lion-O would die for a friend. He'd proven that when he had offered his soul in exchange for a chance to save him, Panthro, WilyKit and WilyKat, Cheetara from Mumm-Ra.

Of course, this girl could be talking about Cheetara. That didn't change anything - Cheetara and he would die for the other. _As if I'm worth the entire kingdom._ He thought, almost wishing they could hear him. But also very firmly not wishing - given that Lion-O never _listened._

"What...do you mean?" Tygra rasped, his mouth suddenly dry. The cat girl nodded as if he'd finally asked an intelligent question. "Well, Lion-O naturally. Grand prize and all that. Great reward on his head. Not the point, though." She added, seeing the look of incredulity on his face.

The Yevetha interrupted. "General Sevra - "

_"SILENCE!"_ The cat girl - Sevra - roared, twisting on one heel and, faster then Tygra's eyes could track, delivered a blow to the chin that sent the alien sprawling. Inwardly, Tygra shivered. This Sevra was dangerous, and by all appearances, completely insane.

Turning back to face Tygra, completely ignoring the Yevetha picking himself up silently up off the floor, Sevra continued. "And I lost my train of that again. Oh yeah - I was on the whole _what do I have against Lion-O_ bit. Well, you see, it's very simple." She explained. "Lion-O was a good king. _Was_ being the operative word. Then he starts being _soft_ and _weak._ He should have been challenged and replaced long ago, but the underworlders are too fond of him." She explained, anger making her tone rise and she paced back and forth in front of him. "When the Yevetha came and offered the possibility of a planet ruled by the strong, where those who were incapable of preforming the tasks required of them were removed and made useful in ways where one could make no mistakes, I accepted it. I became their most valuable tool...and in time, their leader, second to the _darama_ himself." She glanced down at him, a mixture of anger and mercy in her eyes. "I don't expect you to accept my offer, Tygra, but if you do, you will have a place in the world when the Yevetha win this war. If you do not...your only place will be as a supply of blood for the young of the _darama._"


End file.
